Fuel cells in which hydrogen or hydrogen enriched gases are used as anode fuels are old in the art. Such fuel cells are generically called hydrogen fuel cells and operate to convert the chemical energy of the fuel (hydrogen) into electric energy by galvanic action.
In the recent past, special interest has been given to the use of methanol as a cheap and plentiful fuel for fuel cells. Due to the low energetic characteristics of methanol, when put to such use, that interest has, prior to my invention, failed to bring any notable beneficial results.
At present, the principal fuels used to generate electric energy, as in steam generating plants, are fossil fuels. In view of the projected increases in energy consumption and the constant diminishing supply of fossil fuels, it has been projected that the supply of fossil fuels will fall short of that which will be required to meet energy needs in the foreseeable future.
As a result of the above, there is an ongoing search for alternative fuels for the generating of electric power, which fuels are inexpensive and in plentiful supply. To the above end, it is understood that some new interest is being directed to the use of methanol as a potential alternative or substitute for fossil fuels. Presently, methanol can be effectively and economically produced from natural gas, coal and hydrocarbon oxidation and it is therefore substantially inexhaustible and such that its use as an alternative to fossil fuel is very promising.
In the past, methanol is known to have been used as a fuel in the electrolyte of fuel cells and has also been used as feed stock for the production of hydrogen or hydrogen enriched gas which might be advantageously used as a fuel in fuel cells. Methanol has been converted to hydrogen or hydrogen enriched gas by a process commonly called steam reformation. That process involves first reducing the methanol to methane gas and then reforming the methane gas to hydrogen or hydrogen enriched gas by combining the gas with steam at high temperature and in the presence of a suitable catalyst. That process is ordinarily carried out as an independent operation prior to putting the resulting hydrogen or hydrogen enriched gas to any desired or intended use.